Name:__________________________________
Section I: Ancient Greece through Renaissance
1.1 Explain how the Greek notion of Air, Earth, Fire and Water constitutes a “new” way
of understanding the Kosmos. In what way(s) does this model differ from, for example,
the prophecy of Amos?
1.2 Various philosophers such as Democritus, Epicurus and Lucretius proposed a much
different view of the Universe than that of Plato and Aristotle. What was the basic idea
suggested by these philosophers and what made it so different than the Aristotelian view?
Why was this idea so easily rejected by ancient and medieval scholars?
1.3 Give an overview of the basic cosmological model of Aristotle. What major anomaly
is present in that model and how was this anomaly accounted for while preserving the
model?
1.4 Explain why or how the reformation was an important event in helping to produce a
better cultural climate for scientific ideas.
1.5 According to Descartes, what is the most important thing that “humans” must do so
that man “shall never assume what is false is true”?
1.6 Which of Galileo’s many observations allowed him to most easily accept the
Copernican model of the Solar System? Who else reproduced those observations and
what conclusion did they reach?
1.7 Explain how the procedure of Galen was an early example of the scientific method.
Section II: Newton through the 18th Century
2.1 Newton’s fourth dictum states that “Propositions deduced from observation of
phenomena should be viewed as accurate until other phenomena contradict them.”
Explain why this dictum is crucial to the advancement of science and the formulation of
new knowledge?
2.2 What factors caused scientific research and scholarship to shift from the Medieval
University to the Academy?
2.3 Explain the basic concept of the Mechanical Universe and how that is mostly a
refinement of the early Greek model of the Universe.
2.4 How did scientists in the 18th century attempt to explain the process of combustion?
2.5 Explain the scientific principle that was used to justify the power of the King and how
that helped shape the forms of government that came into being at this time.
Hint: this was a major departure from religion as a basis for justification.
2.6. What is the essential difference between rationalism and empiricism as a means of
acquiring knowledge?
Section III: 19th Century Science and Culture:
3.1. What were some of the arguments used or measurements made in the 19th century
which suggested that the earth was at least millions of years old?
3.2 Explain the basic process of natural selection and the outputs of that process.
3.3 How did Lyell’s idea of gradualism influence the thinking of Charles Darwin?
3.4 Explain the basic premise of Thomas Malthus as applied to biological populations?
Is that premise consistent or inconsistent with the Darwinian viewpoint?
3.5 Describe how Spencer re-interpreted Darwin’s notion of “the struggle for existence”
and natural selection as “Survival of the Fittest”
3.6 During the approximate period 1825-1914 Europeans essentially colonized the entire
planet. What was the motivation for this and how do you explain why they were so
successful?
Section IV: Broad Overview Questions:
4.1 Discuss the overall interplay between science and culture. How can science promote
better cultural values? How can cultural values promote good science?
4.2 Explain why modern scientific concepts such as uncertainty and indeterminacy are
not either understood or even tolerated by society
4.3 What are some of the crucial differences between the hierarchical world-order model
as opposed to the inter-connected world view model?
4.4 In Goethe’s comment on the impact of Copernicus he writes “ Never, perhaps, was a
greater demand made on mankind - for by this admission so many things vanished in mist
and smoke! …” – explain why, in fact, nothing actually vanished.
4.5 Does contemporary American society “believe” in Science the same way that they
“believe” in Religion? If yes, explain why there isn’t a difference. If no, explain
why the difference exists.
4.6 Defend or refute the following statement: The scientific method has never had
any real impact on the way society or the individuals within a society function.
4.7 Give two examples of ‘bad’ science. Explain why this ‘bad’ science was accepted for
some time before being finally rejected. What do these examples tell us about the way in
which humans consider and assess new scientific ideas?
LAST Question which is Compulsory: (use the back of the page as well)
Professor Nicols has argued that our intrinsically competitive nature is good because
experience indicates that the competition to acquire and consume has generated an ever
higher standard of living for all humans and therefore this is good for all of humanity.
Professor Bothun says this is crap (as usual): if we are to become an enlightened society,
we will have to sacrifice our standard of living as a priority and learn to cooperate to
share resources. Based on the information given in this course, which side (e.g.
competition vs cooperation) do you align yourself with and why? In addition, which of
these two scenarios do you consider most likely to be adopted in the near term future.